It is not easy to grasp a configuration including a plurality of computers and a network which connects the plural computers each other. Furthermore, it is generally difficult to design the configuration, and to set configuration information to equipment, which is included in the network, on the basis of the design result. In order to make the work mentioned above easy, several arts are proposed.
Patent document 1 discloses a virtual network designing apparatus. The apparatus displays a physical network configuration, which includes a node such as a LAN (Local Area Network) switch and a line between the nodes, on a display screen, and supports a user so that the user may design a virtual network through selecting a part of the physical network configuration. The apparatus displays the physical network configuration and a virtual network configuration on the display screen with overlapping the physical network configuration and the virtual network configuration, and then the user selects a line which is included in the physical network configuration displayed on the display screen, and adds a link of the virtual network on the line or erases the link. Therefore, it is possible that the user designs VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) or the like by use of the apparatus with looking over a whole network.
Patent document 2 discloses a management computer which displays topology of an information system in a form similar to a matrix (refer to FIG. 4). The management computer classifies an object (switch or computer), which is included in the information system, into LAN (Local Area Network), a computer node or the like, and arranges the classified object in a form of a grid having predetermined number of columns each of which is corresponding to the classified object, and variable number of rows. In the arrangement, the objects, which are connected each other, are arranged in the same row.